Students from Oxford’s universities, colleges and schools jumped over the iron railings surrounding the iconic Bodleian
Library building at 1.30pm, tussling with security guards before dancing on tables and step ladders inside.

They had marched to the camera from Carfax protest against the Coalition’s higher education proposals, which will let universities charge up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees.

Police made no attempt to stop the students invading the Grade I listed building.

One masked Oxford Brookes student even scaled its walls to hang a banner saying Fight The Cuts from a third-floor window.

Ruskin College English student Paul Askew, 29, from Cowley Road, said: “There was a rave going on inside for 15 or 20 minutes.

“It was really good spirited. There were people dancing on the tables and the step ladders.

“Whenever it looked like it was going to get out of hand, the organisers told people that we didn’t want to damage anything.”

He added: “The Radcliffe Camera is such an iconic image of Oxford and its education, this was always going to be the place where people came to make their point.”

“If people are climbing over metal railings, the last thing we want to do is start taking hold of them so they may fall and cause injury.”

He said the occupation of the Camera was “civil trespass”.

He added: “There were no arrests and are no planned arrests, and we would not attempt to forcibly remove people from the building as long as they were peacefully demonstrating and protesting.

“What we will not accept is any criminal damage or violence.”

Oxford University refused to comment on the policing of the protest, and demonstrators were divided over the decision to occupy the library.

Oxford and Cherwell Valley College photography student Katie Newton, 17, from Headington, said: “This gets the message across. We all think it is completely wrong that we have been stabbed in the
back.

“I want to go to university, but I would not be able to afford being saddled with debt for the rest of my life.”

But Doug Hale, 29, from Ruskin College, said: “I think it detracts from the message we are trying to get across, even though it shows the anger that some of the students feel towards the current
situation.”

And a 15-year-old Cherwell School pupil, who had bunked off lessons to attend the protest, said: “We came to make a statement, but it will all be overshadowed by the people who went into the
Radcliffe.”

Joe Cooke wrote:
Are they still allowing the protesters to pass food in through the windows?

I hope not Joe, just starve the rats out. They won't be able to go for much longer without a pot noodle.

[quote][p][bold]Joe Cooke[/bold] wrote:
Are they still allowing the protesters to pass food in through the windows?[/p][/quote]I hope not Joe, just starve the rats out. They won't be able to go for much longer without a pot noodle.GRB